As you undoubtedly know already, Seattle Children’s hospital has funded the construction of NE Seattle’s first neighborhood greenway along 39th Ave NE as part of their Master Campus Plan and the Livable Streets Initiative, among other street and transportation improvements. (For more information on what a “greenway” is, you can read all about them HERE!) The new 39th Ave NE Greenway is intended to provide a safer north to south bike and pedestrian route, instead of 35th Ave NE or 40th Ave NE, from the Burke-Gilman Trail from NE 52nd Street (by Metropolitan Market) to NE 77th Street near Thornton Creek Elementary.

Current 39th Ave NE Greenway alignment

While not all of the painting and striping will likely be completed in time for the ribbon cutting, that won’t stop us from having fun. There will be a ribbon cutting, refreshments, and festivities at the greenway’s connection to the Burke (39th Ave NE & NE 52nd Street) beginning at 8AM! The Thornton Creek Elementary south bike train will depart around 8:45AM in the full glory of their Halloween costumes. You can see the full invitation HERE.

The 39th Ave NE Greenway concept was developed by the community through several design meetings hosted by Seattle Children’s and over the last couple of months SDOT has been busy constructing it. Along the greenway route, you’ll notice a variety of intersection treatments to allow safer crossings for pedestrians and bikes depending upon the type of road crossing and vehicle traffic. One example of these intersection treatments is illustrated in the image at the left.

There are several neighborhood greenway groups across Seattle that are working together to advocate for increased pedestrian and bicycle improvements and infrastructure throughout the City. NE Greenways, a group of greenway advocates in NE Seattle neighborhoods, have been working on a larger plan to create a well thought out network of greenways in our neighborhoods. You can see their incredible work and most current iteration of this blossoming plan in the map below.